This invention relates generally to the field of wheeled conveyances similar to those used as grocery shopping carts in supermarkets and is particularly directed to a novel cart which is lightweight, easy to maneuver and can readily be attached to a wheelchair or portable walker for use by handicapped and invalid persons.
As society continues to recognize the special needs of the handicapped and invalid, more and more business and commerical establishments are making their facilities more readily accessible to the physically impaired. Specially designated parking areas, barrier-free construction practices and wheelchair ramps and lifts are now commonplace. Increased accessibility, however, is often coupled with the need for innovative secondary equipment as well. In supermarkets, for example, it is extremely difficult, if not impossible, for a person confined to a wheelchair to shop using a conventional grocery cart. Likewise those partially disabled shoppers who depend on the aid of a portable frame structure, commonly known as a walker, find themselves at a similar disadvantage. Furthermore, shopping carts of the prior art are designed for the physically abled person with little regard for considerations of overall weight and ease of maneuverability. Thus, the mere pushing of an empty cart of the prior art design is a burdensome task for the frail or weakened shopper. The need, therefore, exists for a grocery shopping cart which is readily usable by persons confined to wheelchairs and portable walkers and by those whose physical condition is frail or weakened.
Ideally, shopping carts, especially those used in supermarkets serving handicapped or invalid persons, should have the following characteristics:
1. They should be lighter in weight and easier to push and maneuver than carts of the prior art. PA1 2. They should be readily usable by both handicapped and non-handicapped persons. PA1 3. They should be nestable to conserve storage space. PA1 4. They should be easy to maintain and not have a propensity to collect dirt and other contaminates. PA1 5. They should be attractive and retain that attractiveness over a longer period of time than carts of the prior art. PA1 6. The basket of the cart should be easily replaceable.
The needs of the handicapped shopper have heretofor been addressed in the prior art by adapting conventional shopping carts to attach to a wheelchair via a linkage arm. Such adaptations are typified by the Visa Matic Mod. O.T.C. 88 cart manufactured by United Steel and Wire Company.
The Visa Matic cart utilizes a unitary attachment arm extending from the rear vertical member of a conventional over-the-counter shopping cart. The arm is releasably attached along the side of a wheelchair to the wheelchair's left front and left rear vertical support members. A disadvantage associated with the Visa Matic cart is that the attachment arm is not readily attachable to the wheelchair by the wheelchair occupant. The occupant is required to reach over to one side and stretch to the rear in order to attach the arm. Wheelchair occupants having limited upper body movement and dexterity are, therefore, hard pressed to make the attachment by themselves. The same disadvantage exists when detachment is desired. A further deficiency in the Visa Matic cart is that the attachment arm is secured to only one side of the wheelchair. Unitary attachment does not permit the wheelchair occupant to have full and complete control of the cart and can create undersirable torque when turning around corners. When an even moderately loaded cart is attached to a wheelchair, turning in the direction of the unsecured side causes undersirable flexing of the cart in the opposite direction. The wheelchair occupant is, therefore, required to exert substantial force in order to maintain control of the cart and complete the turn. This problem is compounded by the fact that the basket portion of the Visa Matic cart is of wirework construction which increases the overall weight of the cart and, therefore, decreases its maneuverability.
As mentioned in my U.S. Pat. Nos. 3,999,774 and 4,273,346, which are herein incorporated by reference, baskets of wirework construction are deficient in several areas. The wires in the basket are welded at the crossing points and are then chrome plated. The plating provides a smooth, cleanable attractive surface and affords a measure of corrosion protection. Due to impacts and normal wear and tear, however, the weld joints frequently break and the plating is scraped away leaving exposed bare metal. The bare metal is subject to corrosion which results in the rapid deterioration and unsightly appearance of the cart. Further, even if the carts are cleaned periodically, dirt and food particles become entrapped in small cracks and crevices in the exposed areas creating an unsanitary condition. The unsecured wire ends also have a tendency to pinch and snag articles placed within the basket. Baskets of wirework construction are also difficult to repair. Not only is it hard to bend deformed wires back into shape, it is difficult and expensive to reweld and replate them. The cart basket and chassis are often integral with one another and therefore cannot easily be disassembled for replacement of defective components. Thus, the cart is frequently not repaired, but rather is thrown away when its become too unsightly or too unsanitary to be used.
The Visa Matic cart has the further disadvantage that it is not readily attachable to a portable walker. Thus, those individuals who are confined to a walker, commonly referred to as the walking invalid, find it extremely difficult to grocery-shop for themselves. The attachment arm on the Visa Matic cart also prevents it from being nested with other carts. Where storage space is at a premium, carts that are not nestable are particularly undesirable. Another disadvantage of the Visa Matic cart is that it is not adapted for use independent of a wheelchair. Therefore, carts of conventional design must be provided for the non-physically impaired. Purchase of the Visa Matic cart is accordingly not cost-effective and is uneconomical. The rear vertical members and wheels of the Visa Matic cart are also not inwardly and outwardly tapered, thus the cart can not be used with wheelchairs having extended footrests. Even if the attachment arm of the Visa Matic cart was made long enough to accommodate wheelchairs having longer footrests, the wheelchair occupant would be a greater distant from the basket portion of the cart making it difficult to place articles into the basket. Accordingly, the Visa Matic cart leaves unsatisfied many of the ideal characteristics that a shopping cart should possess.
Beyond supermarkets, there are many other areas and environments in which a wheeled conveyance that is readily usable by a handicapped, invalid or frail person is of practical utility. For example, in places of employment as in libraries where wheeled carts of conventional design are used by library personnel as a convenient means for transporting books. Thus, those employees who may be physically impaired and are unable to use a conventional cart must be assigned alternate tasks or be foreclosed from employment altogether. There is, accordingly, a recognized need for a wheeled conveyance having the aforementioned characteristics in many areas of our society.